Trainer Paul Messara keen to get Big Dance winner Know Thyself into the Big Dance

News.com.au

11-05-2025

Trainer Paul Messara believes Know Thyself is an ideal $3 million Big Dance contender and plans to decide early in the week if The Coast winner will get his chance to qualify via Friday's Listed $200,000 Scone Cup (1600m).
Know Thyself scored his fourth straight victory and second feature success this preparation with a sustained performance to prevail in the $500,000 The Coast at Gosford on Saturday.
The son of The Autumn Son also captured the $1 million Country Championships Final at Royal Randwick last month.
Messara, who trains alongside Leah Gavranich, is open to backing him up six days after his The Coast win on home turf at Scone.
'We will know a bit more midweek and see if there is much bounce in his legs and take it from there,' Messara said.
'That (The Big Dance) would be a lovely race for him to run in, it's perfect for him really.
'It might not be this preparation because he has done a great job already with four wins in a row but we will just see how he comes through.'
Know Thyself makes it four on the trot and wins The Coast! ðŸ'¥ @AshMorgan6 | @Paulmessara | @LGavranich pic.twitter.com/UpqfNMhL8v
— SKY Racing (@SkyRacingAU) May 10, 2025
The Kris Lees-trained Rustic Steel successfully backed up from his The Coast victory in 2022 and captured the Scone Cup before going on to salute in the inaugural Big Dance later in the same year.
Know Thyself's victory in The Coast provided the ratings boost needed to guarantee him a start in the Scone Cup.
Messara plans to nominate Know Thyself for Scone on Monday before making a decision.
Meanwhile, trainer Mack Griffith will set his sets on the second leg of a country feature hat-trick when his speedster Compelling Truth contests Saturday's Listed $200,000 Ortensia Stakes (1100m).
Compelling Truth took out the $200,000 Wagga Town Plate earlier this month for the biggest victory of his career and will be hunting a winning hat-trick at Scone's two-day carnival.
Both the Listed $200,000 Luskin Star Stakes (1300m) and Ortensia Stakes were options at Scone.
'He is going to be nominated for both races but I am thinking the 1100m on the big long Scone straight will be the better race for him,' Griffith said.
' Braith Nock will ride.
'He went back to the farm for a few days after his win at Wagga which is his normal routine and he's done really well.
'We will see where he ends up (in terms of a Kosciuszko) but more short term we are looking at this and then a Ramornie with him.'
The Listed Ramornie Handicap is held at Grafton in July.